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Wednesday, December 02, 2009

I don't MEAN to be a control freak, but...

I figured out yesterday that I just am. I would be the type of boss (if I had anyone working for me - like an assistant or something) that would be so incredibly annoying. My assistant would sit idle because I would do all the work that an assistant should do...you know, like file expenses, write reports, work on letters, memos, research, mail Christmas & birthday cards, etc. That would put me REALLY far behind on all the IMPORTANT work that I, as the boss, would have to do, and subsequently cause me great stress. I know this because every time I delegate something NOW at my NOT important job, it is done INCORRECTLY (or languishes not getting done) and I end up doing it myself. I tried really hard with this last project to let some of things I *normally* do go and let them be picked up by appropriate people. Guess what? They're not getting done so who's picking up the slack? ME. And then there are additional people we've hired and quite frankly I don't know WHAT the hell they're doing so I end up doing that work too. And on top of it all I have a VERY IMPORTANT finance meeting with the finance people on Friday (the likes of which meetings I frankly despise) and I am completely & totally not prepared and overwhelmed.

Throw into the mix a short film that I should've edited about 6 months ago (only a 5-7 minute piece, but still...), a craft show that I signed up to do this weekend (I have exactly 6 cards made to sell), Dahlia's birthday party next weekend to prepare for (ie: learning how to frost an Elmo cake), early Christmas is being celebrated with my family that weekend as well (so, you know, presents...), the end of RILEY needs to be shot (but we need snow and we have no snow), my bedroom is only half wall-paper stripped and the bookshelves upstairs are FAR from painted (so much for "by Christmas" goals) and a slew of other things I'm probably forgetting because I have yet to make my multiple (useless) lists.

6 comments:

I've really learned to let things go. But at your job, I feel your pain. You want things to go well and you're invested in it - so YES! You want it done well and in a timely manner. That sucks. I'd fire someone if they made me feel that way. But of course, you're not in a position to do that. Hrmph. Hang in there.

Ooooo! Nothing's more annoying than finally delegating and it not getting done! Fire all your extra people and I'll do your delegated work. That's my forte. Also my forte? Cakes. If you need any help taking on Elmo, let me know! I love cakes and the decorating thereof.

Kate suggested I check your blog and if I kept your pace, I'd take a vacation. I think it's difficult for certain personality types to allow subordinates to work through assignments. If coaching is necessary, you coach them up. I think employees know when a manager doesn't trust/rely on them and I think performance is affected. That was a lesson I had to learn.

It's kinda like riding in the car with a driver who made me nervous. I'm sitting there and suddenly, there's a brake pedal under my foot. When I finally realized I wasn't breathing and my foot was sore from jamming it into the floor, I told myself to just "let it go and allow my wife to drive". She's a better driver because I stopped intervening.

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I am a: wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a mentor, a hiker, an avid reader, a knitter, a loyal friend, a filmmaker, a singer, a baker, a card maker, an editor, a gardener, a home owner, a laugher, a crier, a Paul McCartney fan, just to name a few... EMAIL me at carrster[at]yahoo[dot]com if you so desire